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Why, in the richest country in the world, are so many homeless people living on the streets with nowhere to go? We are surprised that American youths don't know how to kill a chicken! These where some of the many questions and observations posed by 60 Sub-Saharan African students and their teachers when they came to Berkeley last year to participate in a 3-week intensive Y-PLAN studio.

"[The] call for representation and lifting up young leaders of color has been central to promoting college and career readiness for participants in the Youth - Plan, Learn, Act, Now (Y-PLAN) initiative."

"Over the last 15 years, the Y-PLAN curriculum has been used in 10 cities, across five countries, and reaches about 1,500 students a year. Using Y-PLAN has yielded tangible changes such as at a Richmond high school where the lunch line was redesigned because the original design had allowed for too much bullying. With the new lunch line, the salad bar usage increased three fold. In other cases, a bus route may be changed, a bus stop redesigned, or a new park installed."

Y-PLAN OUSD students interviewed Oakland Mayor Schaff on KDOL TV on her plans for the redevelopment of Downtown Oakland last Friday, April 7th. Students from Skyline and Metwest High Schools presented the Mayor with honest questions about their innovative ideas as well as deep concerns that Downtown Oakland planning is focused on wealthier new residents, and not current residents or young people in particular. "We want to help design a better tomorrow for Downtown, we are just not sure we are a part of the City's vision!"